The first U.S. pizzeria, Lombardi's, opened in 1905 in New York City. But it took an additional 50 years or so for pizza to finally land in St. Cloud.

According to the Stearns History Museum, St. Cloud's first pizzeria was Sam's Pizza Palace, which opened in October of 1956at 16 Seventh Ave. N in downtown St. Cloud. It later moved to a storefront on Fifth Avenue.

In the early 1980's, Sam's moved to 58 Division St. in Waite Park. In 1984, Sam's was renamed Sammy's Pizza and operated under that name until the restaurant's permanent closure in February, 2018.

House of Pizza was the second pizzeria on the scene in St. Cloud, according to the museum. In 1964, Bob Testa opened the restaurant at 19 Fifth Ave. S.

The second area House of Pizza, 1733 Pinecone Road S in Sartell, didn't open until 40 years later. Testa's son, Brandon, purchased the business from him in 2001 and opened the Sartell House of Pizza location in 2004.

What about other St. Cloud-area pizza joints? Gary's Pizza and Waldo's Pizza & Hot Subs have both been around since the '80s.

And pizzeria popularity hasn't slowed down in the aughts, either. Green Mill Restaurant & Bar, Jet's Pizza, Old Chicago, Pizza Depot, Polito's Pizza and many others have also landed in the area.

In the spirit of National Pizza Day, here are some steals and deals you can score Saturday at our local pizza spots. Some are National Pizza Day-specific, others are daily specials — but all are delicious:

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A fresh pizza is sliced before being served at House of Pizza in downtown St. Cloud in this 2017 photo.(Photo11: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

DiMaggio's Pizza and Pasta: Get any medium one-topping pizza for $6.99 if you order online. (Carryout orders only.) Or try a large one-topping pizza and a half-loaf of garlic cheese bread for $12.99.

Domino’s: Get a large three-topping pizza for $7.99. (Carryout orders only.)

House of Pizza: Get a 16-inch two-topping pizza with Parmesan garlic breadsticks and a 2-liter of soda for $24, a medium two-topping pizza and a 2-liter for $14, or a 16-inch two-topping pizza with an order of wings and a 2-liter for $26.

Little Caesar’s: Try the new stuffed pretzel crust pizza for just $9 or the pretzel crust pizza for $6 (back for a limited time) at any location nationwide from 4 to 8 p.m. Get a free 2-liter soda with any online pizza purchase.

A pizza at Sliced in St. Joseph is served, complete with a glorious cheese pull.(Photo11: Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com)

Pizza Depot: Score a two-topping extra large pizza, cheese bread and a two-liter of soda for $20. (Must mention the Saturday daily special when calling.)

Pizza Hut: Get 30 percent off all regular-priced pizzas.

Polito's Pizza: No special on Saturday, but their Sunday special might turn your head if you're celebrating belatedly: a two-topping extra-large pizza, a full order of garlic knots, and four drinks for $24.

Sliced: Mary's Special, an extra-large one-topping pizza with a 6-inch cheese bread and a 2-liter soda, is available daily for $18. Extending your celebration into Sunday? You can get a 12-inch one-topping pizza for just $6.50.

Toppers: When ordering online through Sunday, customers can pick two of the following items for $9.99 each: any house pizza or three-topping pizza and any Topperstix.

Waldo's Pizza: Get a large three-topping pizza and a four-piece cheese bread for $19.99, plus free delivery.

Follow Alyssa Zaczek on Twitter: @sctimesalyssa, email her at azaczek@stcloudtimes.com, or call her at (320) 255-8761.